By Helina Bailey

The First Annual Fall Festival will be held at the Paulette Community Center located at 105 Beech Drive, in Maynardville, on October 15th from 10am to 5pm. Our own local artisan, Brenda Green, of Maynardville, is hosting the event with the goal of helping small businesses in the area catch some of the early Christmas shoppers.
As a small business owner herself, selling her handmade beadwork at the Union County Farmers Market and online, Brenda understands the hard work that goes into running your own small business. Because of this, she is a staunch advocate of the motto," shop local". She believes that shopping local during the Holiday season helps to boost the local economy and is an easy way to support your community.
Brenda explained that she wants to help small businesses in Union County to thrive and to do her part in encouraging others to get on board with the "shop local" movement. Having prior experience in hosting festivals, it seemed natural to go this route and to start an annual festival in town.
Originally, she hoped to rent out the new Farmers Market Pavilion next to Union County High School for the event. However, due to budgeting issues, the pavilion is not yet available to the public. Brenda is hopeful that the pavilion will be available in the years to come so that the Fall Festival can call it home. Despite this unexpected hiccup, Brenda was not dissuaded in her pursuit to establish an outlet for local artisans. She regrouped and was able to acquire the Paulette Community Center for the event.
With the venue secured, came the hard part...spreading word and attracting vendors. News of Brenda's endeavor spread like wildfire through the artisan community and the applications started to roll in. Currently, The First Annual Fall Festival has 20 vendors on the roster, completely filling the inside portion of the Paulette Community Center. With everything from vintage Tupperware to custom painted saws, and fresh baked pies, the festival offers something for everyone.
This event will be a shopper's paradise. For those tagging along or those appointed as designated bag carriers (aka husbands and boyfriends), there's something for you too! You can find fall flavors in the form of fresh baked pies, cheesecakes, cupcakes, and decorative cake-pops, or enjoy a hot lunch from the local caterer, Mama Lana's Kitchen. Virali Zaceri will also be whipping up culinary delicacies, offering Indian vegetarian snacks, while Brenda serves hot coffee, water, and sweet tea out of the kitchen.
When it comes to knocking out that Christmas list, the options are endless! Homemade beeswax candles and honey from Fall Creek, woodwork from James Nelson, and ceramics by Bonnie Sentek, are just a few of the items you can expect to find inside the Community Center. The outside lot will have tumblers, craft bags, clothing, and more. If you are on the hunt for ornaments and decor, Judy Sharp will be set up with a large display of everything Christmas.
Space is limited as the First Annual Fall Festival has been quickly filling up with vendors, but outside booths are still available until October 10th. There is a $10 vendor fee for an eight-foot outdoor slot. Outdoor vendors will need to provide their own canopy. For more information or to apply for a vendor spot, please contact Brenda Green at UnionCountyTNevents@yahoo.com